Somalia urged to pass law banning 'horrendous' FGM

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Somalia's next government should ensure a law is passed banning all forms of female genital mutilation (FGM), a U.N. official said on Tuesday, describing the deeply entrenched practice as a "horrendous rights violation".

Somalia has the world's highest rate of FGM with 98 percent of women between 15 and 49 having been subjected to the potentially deadly ritual.

A bill on FGM is sitting in parliament but is unlikely to be debated until next year because of elections expected this month in the Horn of Africa country.